Improvement in lamps



I. CLARK.

Lamp. NO. 52,031. Patented Jany 16, 1866.

FIG-J1, p70. '2.

a/ Q/ a UNITED STATES ISAAC CLARK, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN LAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 52,031, dated January 16, 1866.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, IsAAo CLARK, of the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lamp-Burners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description.

The nature of my invention consists in a device for reducing or diminishing the flame of a lamp from a full blaze to a small one without adjusting or readjusting the wick when it is desirable to remove the lamp from one room to another, thus avoiding the deposit of carbon on the inside of the glass, which is sure to occur should the lamp be removed while burning a full flame; or should it be desirable to use it for the purposes of a nightlamp, the small flame always insures auniformity of light and an economical use of oil, likewise a perfect combustion of the material used, thus avoiding the escape of vapor so destructive to health and disagreeable to the smell when burning a lamp with the wick turned down low to produce a small flame.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now give a general description of its operation and construction.

In constructing my burner I use an ordinary coal-oil burner. I take two pieces of brass of suitable thickness and size. I bend them through themiddle, so as to make the different portions stand at right angles with each other. One part forms the foot, which is slotted so as to receive the wick-tube edgewise. The other part is cut circular at the corners, and two holes are punched through it at a proper distance from each other. This part forms ears or lugs. The wick-tube is then slipped into the slot and the foot is riveted firmly to the wick-tube plate, the lugs standing in an upright position at the edges of the wick-tube and projecting equally out at each side of the wick-tube. I now make two flaps by cutting two thin pieces of brass. One end of the piece I out about one-quarter of an inch wider than the other, which is cut the width of the wicktube. The metal is cut away at one side from the middle of the flap the width of the wicktube, leaving a strip on each side. This strip is bent at right angles with the body of the flap, thus leaving the flap square and a little wider than the wick-tube. The two side pieces projecting below the main body of the flap are made circular, like the lugs on the wicktube plate, and have also holes punched into them, like those in the other lugs. The flaps are now placed in an upright position against the wick-tube, and two wires are inserted into the holes of both lugs. This forms a hinge on which the two flaps swing from and against the wick-tube, meeting at the top of the wicktube and covering it in such a manner as to extinguish the flame, except at the center, where a notch is made in the two flaps, through which the small flame burns. One of the wires projects outside the cone through a hole in the rim of the cone-seat. A small strip of metal is fastened to. the end of it, which serves as a crank to operate the device.

\Vhen a small flame is required, raise the crank to a level with the rim of the cone-seat, and by depressing it a full flame is allowed to burn free and clear without obstructions to the light or draft. The two flaps being connected by small gear-wheels, both are operated from the movement of the crank.

Having thus given a general description of my invention, 1 will now give a description in detail, reference being had to the drawings and figures annexed.

Figure 1 is a view of a burner, showing the lugs riveted to the wick-tube plate, (marked a, (1,) also the holes in the lugs, (marked b b.) Fig. 2 is a side view, showing lugs (t (1, wires 00, and crank G, gear-wheels dd. Fig. 3 is an end view of burner, showing flapsff closed and placed in their proper position on lugs aa and their connection, the gear-wheels d d, and crank G. Fig.4 is a side view of the same, showing the notch at the top and center of flaps, through which the small flame burns. Figs. 5 and 6 are a side and end view of Figs. 3 and 4 with the flap thrown open in the position for trimming.

Having given a description of my invention, its construction and operation, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

The movable flaps ff, lugs to a, and gearwheels d d, operated by crank G, for the purposes and uses substantially set forth in specitication.

ISAAC CLARK.

Witnesses:

FRANKLIN W. WILLARD, FRANK F. WILLARD. 

